Velocipede



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. N. Mo KBB.

VELOGIPEDE.

(No Model.)

vl, 7%, y w am w W 9. Mh M M w y lTu P DU l|||.|||||||||||| S E 1m Q.IIIVLIIIIIJV R t .r e N N m m.,,....-... H Ll... `.r.||L ,a 1||rr||| lI I l i Il D.. W f, 5. 4 u M ,M y,

UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

NEIVTON MCKEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent IVe-135,97*?, datedSeptember 9, 1890.

I Application filed October 14, 1889. Serial No. 326,945.' (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEWTON MCKEE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Actuating Devices forVelocipedes, ttc., of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the devices whereby velocipedes, hand-cars,invalid-chairs, pleasure-boats, and other vehicles may be driven.

In the practice of the invention I employ an oscillating seat andoscillating foot-pedals and connect them both to the driving mechanism,so that the rider may apply the power of both in driving the vehicle.The connecting mechanism, I have illustrated fully in the accompanyingdrawings, as the same is applicable to a railway-velocipede.

In the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification,and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1is a plan view of such a railway-velocipede. Fig. 2 is a side elevation.Fig. 3 is a partialside elevation showing the parts in adifferentposition or part of the stroke from that given in Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a detail section on line 4 4. of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of the chair support or bearing shown at Fig. 4.

In said drawings, A A represent the framework of a railway-velocipedesupported upon wheels B B, running upon one rail of the track, and bythe wheel b, running upon the other rail.

C is the oscillating seat, having a back c, whereby the rider may bracehimself and obtain power, and a spring-seat c. The spring feature of theseat is preferable, though not necessary.

The chair is supported upon a cross-barD, having a knife-edge d restingin notches e of bearing-plates E, secured to the frame A at either sideof the vehicle. This cross-bar is conned in the bearings by caps e', andthe construction is such as allows the chair to rock with a minimum offriction.` Extending.

downwardly from the chair is a forked lever F, which is rigid with thechair and moves with it. From one arm of this lever apitmanconnection Gextends to the foot-pedal H. Said foot-pedal is formed upon the lowerend of a swinging rod h, which is provided with a bearing upon theframe-work, as shown. Vith these connections between the chair and thepedal each time the rider throws the chair backward the pedal will moveforward, so that the rider bythe act of straightening himself outimparts the necessary power to drivethe vehicle, and such power istransmitted to the driving-wheel by mechanism now to be described.

Upon a backwardly-extending arm e', rigid with the chair, is pivoted onearm of an elbow-leverr J, pivoted to the frame at j. The other arm ofthis lever is connected by a pitman K to an arm 7c, which is rigid witha segment-gear L, supported preferably upon the end of the cross-bar D.The arm is provided with an elongated slotfi, to give the pivot whichjoins it to the lever J the requisite freedom. The gear L meshes withacorresponding segment-gear M, pivotedv upon the lever F at m. An arm orleverN extends from this gear M downwardly, and is joined by a pitman nto the crank 0 upon the shaft O, carrying a gear P. Through this gearand one or more smaller gears p p (shown partially by dotted lines inFig. 1) motionv is communicated to the axle Q of thedrivingwheel B.These gears multiply the motion imparted to the initial gear, so thatthe speed of the driving-wheel is considerably greater than it would beif the motion were carried direct from the arm N to the axle Q. By meansof the segment-gears and the connections by which they receive powerfrom the chair I am enabled to increase the leverage over what would beobtained by joining the lower end of lever F directly to crank O, as thelower end of lever N has a much greater range of movement than has thelower end of lever F, so that the crank o may be made quite long and bedriven with strong power. By the two features enumerated I obtain bothan increase of motion or speed by the driv` ing-wheel and an addedleverage at the crank o, so that the rider by a slight movement at thechair and pedals is enabled to obtain a very considerable speed land allthe power requisite at the drivingwheel. l

By making the lever F wide or forked, as shown, I am enabled to provideit with two springs R, each of which is regulated by a set-screw r, andwhich will act upon the lever IOC N at each end of its stroke. The benetof these springs is found in the fact that they cushion the shocksoccasioned by the lever reaching the end of its stroke, and also storeup power whereby to assist its start in the reverse direction and helpthe machine pass the dead-centers. The spring S may be employed tore-enforce the seat-sprin g and cushion its downward movement.

S is a brake-lever pivoted upon a cross bar or rod t and actuating asliding bar T, the farther end of which bar T may be made to bear uponthe periphery of the drive-wheel when the rider pulls the lever S towardhim.

The system of connecting-levers, &c., by which the seat and pedals areenabled to communicate motion to the driving-wheel may be duplicated onboth sides of the machine, as illustrated, or but one set thereof may beused, and instead o f placing the levers, doc., at the outside of theframe they may be placed in the interior thereof; and while I have shownthe invention as applied to a railway-velocipede it will be understoodthatI do not limit myself to such use, as it is equally applicable toother classes of vehicles, to boats, and even to the actuating of lightmachines.

In the use of my invention the rider employs his weight in addition tothe strength he exerts at his feet and shoulders whenhe straightens outand pushes against the seatback and pedals. Additional power is gained,also, by supporting the spring-seat at the outer edge of the seat-frame,as in this manner the weight is all transmitted to the outer edge.

I am aware that rocking-chairs with backs combined with stationaryfoot-rests have been employed in propelling vehicles; also, that rockingseats without backs have been geared to swin gin g treadles, whereby-power has been obtained from both the seat and the treadle; butobviously a seat withouta back can exert power when moving in onedirection only, whereas by the addition of the back the user is enabledto make it a source of power in both directions without serious eifort.

I am not aware that a backed seat has ever before been combined with aswinging treadle, and it is only by such a combination that the bestresults can be obtained with the least exertion upon the part of theperson using the device. Without the use of the back the labor devolvedupon the user is onerous, but with it, in conjunction with the swingingtreadle, the work becomes comparatively easy.

I claim- 1. The oscillating chair having a back and carrying the leverF, depending below the center of oscillation, in combination with theswinging pedal having a pitman-connection with lever F, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination, with the oscillating chair carrying a lever or armfi, of the segment-gear L, operated from said arm t', the segment-gear Mmeshing with gear L and driving the crank 0, and said crank,substantially as specified.

3. The oscillating chair having a depending lever F, the lever N, havingan increased motion over lever F, the mechanism actuating said lever Nfrom the chair, and the crank o, driven from said lever N, substantiallyas set forth.

4. The oscillating chair, the forked leverF, carried by the chair andprovided with springs R, in combination with the lever N and the partsdriven therefrom, substantially as set forth.

5. The oscillating chair, the gears Land M, and the actuating deviceswhereby said gears are driven from the chair, in combination with thelever F, suspended from the chair and supporting gear M, substantiallyas set forth.

6. As a means of imparting power to a velocipede or other object, arocking-chair having a back and aswinging pedalboth adapted to beactuated by the user, in combination with mechanism for transmittingpower from the chair and pedal to the parts to be driven, substantiallyas set forth.

7. In an oscillating chair employed to obtain power, a spring-seatsupported Wholly from the front edge of the chair, substantially as setforth.

NEWTON MCKEE.

NVitnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, EDW. S. EvARTs.

